What to know about new night train connecting Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy

The new night train route from Brussels to Venice, which will launch early next year, will allow passengers to make an overnight journey to the North Sea, the Mediterranean or to the Alps. Here’s what you need to know.

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Night train transport firm, European Sleeper, is introducing a new Brussels – Venice route to begin in February 2025.
The line will also connect Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Italy – with stops in Cologne, Munich, Innsbruck, Bolzano and others along the way.

European Sleeper is one of a few privately owned international train operators in Europe. Currently it operates night trains on just one international line that connects Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden and Prague several times weekly.
READ ALSO: The destinations you can reach by direct night train from Berlin
According to the company, the new line comes in response to high-demand for winter sports travel, more city trip options and the current lack of suitable train connections in Europe.
The new route is intended to make it easier for passengers to choose greener travel options without compromising on comfort.
“This marks a new important milestone for European Sleeper, and the convenience of night travel across Europe more sustainably,” said Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper in a statement released by the company.
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Itinerary
Starting on February 5th, 2025, the Brussels – Venice line will initially run twice a week.
Southbound trains will depart the Belgian capital at 5 pm and arrive in Venice at 2 pm the following day. Passengers departing Cologne can catch the train at 11 pm and get a good night’s sleep before the train stops in Munich at 7 am the following morning.
BREAKING: @EuropeanSlpr to launch a Brussels-Venice train twice a week in February & March next year via the scenic Brenner Pass, with couchettes, sleepers & (yay!) dining-car. Fares tba, booking opens next month. Recommended Eurostar connection leaves London St Pancras at 11:04. pic.twitter.com/cd8GrU0Uh6— The Man in Seat 61 (@seatsixtyone) August 20, 2024

Northbound trains will depart Venice at 3 pm, stopping in Innsbruck by 7 pm and Munich at 10 pm. They’ll arrive in Cologne at 6 am the next morning and reach the end of the line in Brussels by 11 am.
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What you can expect
Mark Smith, author of The Man in Seat 61, a popular blog about train travel in Europe, told The Local that he’s had two experiences riding on European Sleeper trains – once in a sleeper bed and once in a new couchette car.
Sleeper cars are the equivalent of a hotel room on wheels, typically equipped with proper beds and washbasins, whereas cheaper couchettes are smaller padded bunks often fitting four or six in a cabin.
Asked how European Sleeper trains compare with those run by Europe’s bigger operators like Nightjet, Smith said, “Their newer 5-berth couchettes are as good as Nightjet, the sleeping-cars are older than Nightjet’s sleeping-cars (so no showers) but very comfortable.”
READ ALSO: Five ‘coolcation’ spots you can reach by train from Germany
He added that a perk about the new Brussels – Venice line is that the trains will have a dining car, “which promises lunch and a glass of red while you pass through the mountains of the scenic Brenner Pass.”
Ticket prices
Booking for trips on the new route will officially open on September 1st.
European Sleeper hasn’t yet published ticket prices. But to give a general idea tickets from Brussels to Prague start at €69 for seats, €99 for couchettes and €159.
As for scoring the cheapest tickets: “Like anything, book as far ahead as you can and the booking horizon allows, mid-week is cheaper than weekends, February is cheaper than June,” said Smith, the man who rides trains for a living.

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Comments (2)

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
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Giacomo

2024/08/22 10:36

How is it possible to pass by Cologne and Munich and not passing by/stopping in Frankfurt?

David

2024/08/21 17:39

To? Yes yes?!

See Also

Night train transport firm, European Sleeper, is introducing a new Brussels – Venice route to begin in February 2025.
The line will also connect Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Italy – with stops in Cologne, Munich, Innsbruck, Bolzano and others along the way.
European Sleeper is one of a few privately owned international train operators in Europe. Currently it operates night trains on just one international line that connects Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden and Prague several times weekly.
READ ALSO: The destinations you can reach by direct night train from Berlin
According to the company, the new line comes in response to high-demand for winter sports travel, more city trip options and the current lack of suitable train connections in Europe.
The new route is intended to make it easier for passengers to choose greener travel options without compromising on comfort.
“This marks a new important milestone for European Sleeper, and the convenience of night travel across Europe more sustainably,” said Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper in a statement released by the company.
Itinerary
Starting on February 5th, 2025, the Brussels – Venice line will initially run twice a week.
Southbound trains will depart the Belgian capital at 5 pm and arrive in Venice at 2 pm the following day. Passengers departing Cologne can catch the train at 11 pm and get a good night’s sleep before the train stops in Munich at 7 am the following morning.

BREAKING: @EuropeanSlpr to launch a Brussels-Venice train twice a week in February & March next year via the scenic Brenner Pass, with couchettes, sleepers & (yay!) dining-car. Fares tba, booking opens next month. Recommended Eurostar connection leaves London St Pancras at 11:04. pic.twitter.com/cd8GrU0Uh6
Northbound trains will depart Venice at 3 pm, stopping in Innsbruck by 7 pm and Munich at 10 pm. They’ll arrive in Cologne at 6 am the next morning and reach the end of the line in Brussels by 11 am.
What you can expect
Mark Smith, author of The Man in Seat 61, a popular blog about train travel in Europe, told The Local that he’s had two experiences riding on European Sleeper trains – once in a sleeper bed and once in a new couchette car.
Sleeper cars are the equivalent of a hotel room on wheels, typically equipped with proper beds and washbasins, whereas cheaper couchettes are smaller padded bunks often fitting four or six in a cabin.
Asked how European Sleeper trains compare with those run by Europe’s bigger operators like Nightjet, Smith said, “Their newer 5-berth couchettes are as good as Nightjet, the sleeping-cars are older than Nightjet’s sleeping-cars (so no showers) but very comfortable.”
READ ALSO: Five ‘coolcation’ spots you can reach by train from Germany
He added that a perk about the new Brussels – Venice line is that the trains will have a dining car, “which promises lunch and a glass of red while you pass through the mountains of the scenic Brenner Pass.”
Ticket prices
Booking for trips on the new route will officially open on September 1st.
European Sleeper hasn’t yet published ticket prices. But to give a general idea tickets from Brussels to Prague start at €69 for seats, €99 for couchettes and €159.
As for scoring the cheapest tickets: “Like anything, book as far ahead as you can and the booking horizon allows, mid-week is cheaper than weekends, February is cheaper than June,” said Smith, the man who rides trains for a living.